Disturbing the cycle
by planet p
Summary: Story Repost! Little Miss Parker goes looking for Jarod. William/Edna


**Disturbing the cycle **by planet p

**Disclaimer **I don't own _the Pretender_ or any of its characters.

**Author's Notes** Story Repost, written 24/9/2006.

* * *

Melody traced her tiny fingers along the smooth marble walls. She was looking for her friend, her Jar. She had already figured he was on a sim so that meant he was down in one of the Sim Labs but she was not allowed down there, not that she would go there willingly in any case, the walls of late had been filled with such screams they hurt her head and twisted her vision. She decided to steer clear for a bit.

She wondered if Jarod could feel the pain? The girl took a deep steady breath and huffed. Most likely not. But she knew one who could. No, that was not true. She knew two who could. There had once been three, but her mama was gone now.

There was Angelo who was a friend but not the same as Jarod. Some said he was disturbed. Others said he was mad. Melody knew he had failed. He could have been so great, they said, but he wasn't, and now nobody gave a toss. No, not nobody, just not always. Care was not a constant thing. Except for the other who couldn't fight the dreams anymore so the walls always came crashing down, and just like before, one by one, they was put back together in hopes they would stay that way.

The slight girl shivered. Care had always been a constant with her mama. But her mama had always had so much care people often said it was not right in this world. But then, she was no longer part of this world.

Blinking furiously, Melody thought of the other. She liked the other almost as much as she liked her mama, almost as much as she liked Jar, but not in the same ways. Jarod liked him too. By rights he was all Jarod knew good and proper. He knew that he would always have Sydney because Sydney had lost so many that now all he had left was the boy. But Melody knew he would have cared anyhow. He was just like that.

Then Melody got to thinking if the care could spread, like by touch, but then that would never do, because there weren't so many that cared, not enough. She knew how it spread, same as most everything. Love made the world go round, her mama had said. Love gave the birdies wings to fly and songs to sing. Love gave her her baby so she wouldn't be lonely no more.

Melody sure wished she could have her mama right now, just to hug her or see her smile. She had always liked her mama's smile. It was always so pretty, even sad it had been so pretty. Care was always mighty pretty. Only problem was 'gee whiz' it hurt something awful tarnationed.

* * *

Melody frowned and turned full circle, wondering where it was she had ended up this time. Most likes some place she weren't meant to be, and ought, by rights, to have skedaddled right back outta.

She didn't leave. Instead she sat down and crossed her legs patiently. She had been drawn here. She was curious. Her mama had told her curiosity was none a good thing, but then again, a little bit naughty and a little bit nice was sugar and spice, they made mighty fine cookies. She would wait and see.

* * *

The sound of voices woke her. Not that she had been sleeping. She'd been reaching, waiting, testing. The girl's crystal blue eyes snapped open and darted around the lab, her mama's lab. Yes, now she was certain. The walls had ears, and they never forgot. They was mighty bored, always so very bored, but never empty. They was always collectin' things, they was.

Sometimes she talked to them. They liked singin' the best. They always told her things when she sung. They liked it better if she danced. Dancing was like weaving. Dancing took care. It took an unnatural love to do good. Her mama had danced.

Melody stood and shook off the cobwebs of her past. The voices were approaching fast.

She knew the voices, but the voices didn't matter. Voices lied. Words lied. Feelings didn't. The feelings was what mattered.

Dr. Raines was what they called him. And the pretty little thing hurrying along beside him was his wife. Boy was she hurrying.

Melody ducked under one of the work benches and hid, waiting, seeing.

* * *

She was right.

Dr. Raines shook his head and pushed the door open. "Not now, Edna, I'm busy."

Edna huffed crossly, but she was hurt more. She hated it when he got all dismissive on her. "When then?" She crossed her arms across her chest as though cold. "When you gonna listen for once?"

The doctor started rummaging through one of the filing cabinets, not looking around at the woman. "I listen."

Edna snorted. "Oh, yeah, I know 'ow good you listen, William. You is just so good at lis'nin'!"

Dr. Raines nodded, completely missing the sarcasm altogether. "Yup. I am."

His wife scowled. "Like you is lis'nin' to me now?"

The doctor pulled out some files and began shuffling through them, nodding to his wife absently. "Very nice, Edie."

Edna frowned, scrunching up her eyes. "Now jus' what is you goin' on about?"

"Really? That's very interesting."

Edna shook her head and turned away from her husband with a grumpy look. "My point exac'ly!" She snorted incredulously. "Now look. You is got me all crazy, talkin' to meself."

She resumed shaking her head as if to clear her mind, taking deep breaths. No need to be goin' getting yaself all worked up over nofing, she scolded herself, and cut with that hill-billy talk, you know your mama wouldn't never approve!

"Will-i-am!"

Dr. Raines continued right on with what he was doing. "Busy," was all the response he gave, mumbling to himself inaudibly.

"I weren't- wasn't – askin' your permission to speak!" his wife stormed but it was like talking to a brick wall, 'cept the walls listened, they just didn't answer back. Edna wagered he weren't even lis'nin' to her no more. "God damn it, William!"

The doctor frowned and turned to his wife. For a moment she was sure he had heard her and was gonna start yelling all manner of reprimands for her unladylikeness of speech. Then her eyes fell to the folder he was holding out to her. "I dunno what this is, how 'bout you?"

Edna blinked, sure she was going to kill him, snap and go mad and kill him. "I don't care about your stupit file!"

She grabbed the folder off him and promptly chucked it to the floor.

Dr. Raines started to say something before he was interrupted by his wife grabbing him by the front of his clothes and smacking him into the filing cabinet. "Shud up!"

He blinked and looked around the room hopefully.

Edna scowled, noticing where he was looking. "Don't look at that! Look at me!" She took his chin and made him look at her.

"Edie, I'm busy!"

The woman scowled again and smacked her palm into his forehead. "An' me? Wha' about me? Ain't I got nofing bedder to be doin' than talkin' to you like it's a brick wall for all the good in the world?"

"Nofin' that don't involve spendin' my money or whinin'," Dr. Raines replied.

Edna growled, taking heaving breaths as though to refrain from clipping him one good across the back of the head. "Your money?"

He nodded. "That's right."

"YOUR MONEY?"

The doctor blinked, thinking his wife was being mighty dim. "You heard me the firs' time."

Edna growled, grinding her teeth uncomfortably. "I donno why I bovver," she replied listlessly, tossing her head from side to side.

"Then you're gonna take a look at that thing I was askin' you 'bout before…?" he ventured.

His wife shot him a deathly glare. "God damn it, no! I'm not readin' none of your fancy papers an' tha' is the end of it!"

"Geez, woman, no need to get all worked up 'bout it."

"Oh, God, you really are crazy, aren't you?"

"Me? Crazy? Who told you that?" he asked innocently.

"Nobody told me!" she stormed. "I tol' it meself!"

Dr. Raines winced. "Oh. Okay. You didn't have to yell quite so loudly. I'm right here."

His wife's overlarge eyes fell on him and Melody wasn't quite sure if it was killin' time or not. Edna let out a huge sigh and released her hold on his shirt, turning away from the filing cabinet. She began to walk towards the door idly. "We're having potato casserole tonight," she told him blankly. "It's Annie's favourite." She stopped in front of the file with its contents strewn all over the floor and knelt down on her knees, collecting up all the little pieces of paper here and there and placing them neatly back in the folder.

Dr. Raines stepped away from the filing cabinet, watching her carefully.

Edna straightened and turned to him, her eyes unfocused. She held out the folder and sighed. "It's Latin, but that's the most of it for me. I never learned Latin. Though I suppose being a phy…" she fell short wistfully. "P'r'aps I should learn it one day."

William took the folder offered and placed it gently upon the bench, smoothing his hand across the cardboard as though in thought. He looked up suddenly. "Edie?"

Edna paused in the doorway and stopped, turning slowly.

William tilted his head slightly onto his shoulder, striding across the room and came to a stop before his wife.

Edna looked up heavily, opening her eyes tiredly. She began to say something. "Yes, husb-"

William touched her arm gently and looked into her eyes. "I expect Annie will probably smack me across the head for it, but I got her a book. Do you think I should get some flowers too?"

Edna simply looked down to her arm.

William quickly relinquished the contact, reaching up to take her chin instead. "Hey? Edie? Look at me."

Edna's eyes settled blankly on his own.

"Smile."

His wife scrunched up her nose and smiled prettily without showing any of her teeth, her head at a slight inclination.

William dropped his hand from her face and sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. Edna turned back to the door. William smiled suddenly and gave her a little smack on the behind. "You better hurry along now, missy. That cake ain't exactly gonna bake itself, is it?"

Edna didn't turn but Melody thought that she saw her smile a little before she disappeared from sight altogether.

* * *

It was a good five minutes before the doctor left muttering about Latin dictionaries and Green. Melody scrambled to her feet and scuttled from the laboratory. Jarod had finished his simulation. The girl smiled to herself, a happy little smile.

She couldn't suppress a shudder, however, and she knew it would be a very long time indeed before she visited that lab again. Some things, her mama had said, remained better unknown.

* * *

_I guess I must have been watching a lot of _Firefly_ at this time, or something. Thanks for reading._


End file.
